Stop ring for combination locks



May 18, 1948. E. M. MILLER STOP RING FOR COMBINATION LOCKS Filed May 2, 194a INVENTOR EDWARD M. MILLER ATTORNEY S Patented May 18, 1948 UNITED STATES} PATENT VOFFICE Edward M; Miller, Kent, Ohio, assignor to The C. L. Gougler Machine Company, Kent, Ohio,

1 a corporation of Ohio Application May 2, 1946, Serial No. 666,661

1 This invention relates to improvements in combination locks and particularly to improvements in the actuator by which various combinations are efiected. i

My present invention is adapted for use with the type of lock shown in my patent, Number 2,308,892, granted January 19, 1943, or with the type of lock shown in the copending application of Michael A. Yakubik, Serial No. 673,529, filed May 31, 1946, or in general, with any combination lockrequiring the rotation of a knob backward and forward to set the combination.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device wherein more than 360 degrees of revolution of the actuator is provided for in the setting up of the combination.

1 Another object of the invention is to provide simple, but positive means for permitting substantially two complete revolutions of the actuator knob of a combination lock for use in setting up the lock combination.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description, and the essential features thereof will be set forth in the appended claims.

'In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a central sectionalview taken along the line l-l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken along the line 22 of Fig, 1;

1 Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; while Fig. 4 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 3, but showing the parts in another position.

It is immaterial what type of lock may invention is associated with as it is equally useful for a common door lock or for a gasoline tank cap lock asshown in my above mentioned patent, or for use with a padlockas shown in the abovementioned application of Michael A. Yakubik. I have chosen to illustrate the same as used with the Yakubik type of padlock which will be briefly described here, and reference may be had to the copending application of Michael A. Yakubik for further description if necessary.

In the padlock shown, a cup-shaped housing is provided with an upstanding cylindrical Wall Illa which is closed by a front cover II, which in turn is surmounted by a round actuator knob I2. The knob is provided with centrally located serrations l3 which mate with coacting serrations [4 on a central post 1'5 which is integral with the combination disc [6, the rear end of which, as shown in Fig. 1, abuts a stud l1 fixed 2 Claims. (Cl. 70-'289) in the housing Ill and holding the parts l5, 16' in their proper position. The snap ring I8 fits within a groove of the post 15 and holds the post in proper relationship to the cover I l,'so that the post and disc l6 may rotate relative to the cover ll andthe housing I'll while setting up the lock combination.

On one face of the disc 16 are provided a plurality of cams Hill which coactwith a pin l9 on the oscillating lever 20, which in turn is pivotally mounted by pin 2| on the locking lever 22. There are two' of these locking levers, the other being shown at 23, both of them being pivotally mounted on the cover H on similar pivots, one of which is shown at 23a, Fig. 1.

The upper ends of these levers have flanges 24 which engage in notches '25 of the shackle 26 to hold it in locked position. Normally, the butterfly lever 2'! is in horizontal position, as viewed in Fig. 2, between the flanges 24, thus preventing the retraction of the upper ends of the locking levers toward each other. Therefore, the butterfly lever 21 holds the'shackle in locked position. A spring 28 normally urges the butterfly lever toward the above-mentioned locked position. The lower ends of the locking levers are pulled toward each other by a spring29 which is attached to each of them. This normally urges the upper ends of the locking levers toward the locked position described.

In unlocking the lock, the knob 12 is rotated, Thus carrying with it the cam surfaces [Ea which engage the pin 19 which is normally positioned in-- wardly toward the center of disc It. By follow-- ing certain combinations, turning knob l2'to' the left and then to the right, the pin 19 is worked along the various cam surfaces 16a by means well known to those skilled in this art, until thepin l9 reaches an outermost position where it kicks the nose 20a ofthe lever 20 against the righthand end. of butterfly lever 21, as shown in Fig.2, kicking this lever out of its locking position. It is then possible to pull the shackle 26 outwardly, thus unlocking the padlock. In this outward movement of the shackle the cam surface of the notch 25 on the left side of the shackle, as viewed in Fig. 2, kicks an arm 2th on the lever 20, thus returning the pin [9 toward the center of the disc 16, so that the lock is automatically locked when the shackle 26 is returned to the position of Fig. 2. The above is but one type of lock with specific operating mechanism, but it will be understood by those skilled in this art that the present invention is applicable to any lock which depends upon a rotating knob such as l2, for the setting of the combination. The disc [6 is provided with notches 16b in its periphery into which the end of a spring 30 engages so as to give the familiar clicks of a combination lock, advising the operator of the combination as th knob I2 is turned.

The present invention comprises the structure, best seen irrFi'gs. '1,- 3 and 4, vt' he'r eby more-than 360 degr'es'of revolution of the knob l2"arepos'- sible. in the setting of lock combinations. To

this end, a ring 3! is provided with a centralopening em for free rotation-about the-post-t5 adjacent the cover I I. This ring has a projection 32 extending radially outwardly rrcmcne side for! the ring in the same plane as'the ring=itslf, and

toward the ring 3|. This projection 34 is -so 'pocitioned that it engages' tl'i e tongue '33 'Of the l'ilig i'l[cats-theknob l2 is"ldta,ted. I

an operation, when the knob T l 2- has beenrotated 'as far as possible in the counterclockwise :post l5 are possible.

the position of Fig. e to engage th'e stop Ila on the opposite side thereof. Therefore, the knob 12 in moving the parts from the position of Fig. 3-

to that of Fig. 4, has made almost two complete revolutions, and in actual practice, nineteen clicks of the spring 39 in the notches l6b may be counted.

-It virillfbe riot'ed from the construction. of the serrations 1-3 and M on knob 42 and post I5, respectively, ten relative positions of knob l2 on In the use of my device this -positioning-of knob I2 on post 15 is accomplished at th'e "factory and gives ten difierent gcombina'tions :op'erating from an initial position b'e'ginfning with rotation of knob l2 to a clockwise "stop, 'an'dten other combinations starting with 'rotation -ofknob l2 toward a counterclockwise stop fIn addition, of course, the novel arrange men-t whereby almost two complete revolutions of knob I2 are possible, gives a much wider range ofcombinationstha'n is possible with athe z'ordidirection, as viewe'dfi'n Fig. 3, theprojection '34 fonfthe'kiioohas carried the projection 33 of rin 3 I in a "counterclockwise direction 'until' the' pro- 'would be the starting position of a combination, "wherein-the knob |2 was first turned'toward the left; (iicounterclockwise (facing the'pad'lock) un- 'tiltlieknob could be turned no farther in that direction. Inoperating the combination, the next move is tot'urn th'e"knob*l2 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figsf3and4, and in the direction ofthe arrQW'in Fig. 3. "In the'form of my device shown here,- there are ten-notches l'fib Lin the periphery ofdisc! 6, and in't'he' usual'combination' lock the knob I 2 could be turned inthe 'diidtibnof th'e 'arrow of Fig; '3 for'only'ten clicks,asthat"'wou1d"causei a complete -revolution ofkliobl2,"whereupon, it Would-come up against a fixed stop and ;further rotation inthat 'direc itionvvoum be impossible. 'ComparingFig. 3 with Fig; 4, itwill'be noted that in the-operation of mydevice the knob I2 is rotated ina clockwise "direction fromthe position of 'FigL3 substam tia'lly"360 degrees so that the projection 34 then lies on the opposite "side cf the tongue 33. The "projection 't l can continuetin a clockwise directing-pushing ring 3| by"mea'ns" of engagement withits ton'gue 33,'substantial1y 360 degrees, un-

tiltheprojectiOn 32 has moved from the positions -ofFig. 3 almost completely around the circle to Number narystype of dock wherein .the-zactua-torrknob is rotatable 7 approximately '360- degrees.

What I claim is: 1. in a permutationlockfhaving a combination idisc adaptedto be rotatediin opposite :directions for-setting the lock=opening'.combination; arhousing, an actuator :knob rotatable "relative 1 to -.-said housing, said knob.= having: ani'operative aeonnection with .said combination di'sc,- a narrow stop member fixed relative -'to said housing,- a clutch member rotatable. relative to said housingpaipart 0f said' clutch 'memberrotatable inrthejplarie of said stop' member and adapted to engage sa-id stop member on opposite sides ofthe latter .upon

rotation of said part substantially:threeihundred andrsixty degrees, -a projection-ion sai'daclutch member, and "an abutment rigid withcsaid-rknob and rotatablein the plane-.of:said= projection and adapted to engage. said projection ion opposite sides of the latter uponzrotationof:saidfabutment throughzthe ,major portion of (a complete revolution, whereby almost two complete..revelutions "of =-said knob :are necessary to move said clutch member part from one side: or said-@stop member to the other side thereof. r

2. The combination of' claim =l--wherein-fisaid clutch member is a ring having-sa-id part andi said projection rigid therewith and di-ametrically' opposed on said ring; said part and; proj e'ction lying in different planes.

EDWARD 'MsMILLER. REEERENCESUlTED l The following references "areiof record the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I 'Name 7 livat'e 783,210 Lewis .a Ffb." 2 l, 1 905 863,863 Miller -AugS20, 1907 

